Washoe County GOP Chairman Taber resigns

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Washoe County's Republican Party is looking for another new chairman.

Tom Taber says he resigned late last week at the end of a contentious meeting of the county's GOP central committee.

He told the Reno Gazette-Journal he stepped down for personal reasons that had nothing to do with a heated debate between competing factions within the party over its bylaws.

He says he decided it was best to resign now before the election cycle gets into full swing.

Taber defeated Dave Buell for the chairmanship early last year. A former airline pilot, he lost to incumbent Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson in the 2012 District 27 Assembly race. He's also a baseball scout.